Grass Roots Hi Brix

Hey Doc, That is exactly why I asked 420girl to change the thread over to you. I will send her another email and ask them once again to fix this. Im sorry and shouldn't have jumped the gun, I was just so exicted and my brain need more food.

For now I will post it if you tell me where you want it. I'll Cc you in.
:peace:
 
Wanted to post this from " High Brix Gardens ".

Dr. Arden Andersen--soil scientist, physician, and world-renowned consultant in sustainable agriculture--has graciously granted International Ag Labs permission to make available to you a recent talk he gave entitled "The Case FOR Nutrient Dense Foods, The Case AGAINST Genetically Modified Foods".

[h=1]Free CD Giveaway Free CD Giveaway | HighBrix Gardens[/h]



[h=2]The Case FOR Nutrient Dense Foods
The Case AGAINST Genetically Modified Foods[/h]You have our permission to make copies of this CD to pass around to friends and neighbors. [h=1]To Request Your Free CD[/h]The following form is to be filled out by those living in the USA only.
If you are living OUTSIDE the USA, CLICK HERE to request your free copy of our CD.

Thought I would share the dvd with everyone on this thread, IT"S FREE
 
High Brix components questions...

Minerals:
I went to my favorite hydro store to look for high brix ingridients. I was both underwhelmed and overwhelmed. First, the underwhelming:
There was no gypsum
They had dolomite lime, no limestone
They had ground phosphate rock (can I assume this is soft rock phosphate?)
There was oyster shell powder, so I can use this in place of limestone, right?

Is there a list of organic substitutes that corresponds to these minerals? For example, what can I use in place of gypsum?

Soil Energy:
They had kelp powder, bone meal and manure, but no Biosol Forte or Hydrolyzed Fish

Are those suitable substitutes? I've got some OC+... is that a substitute or an addition? I see it needs testing on the best practices.

I guess if I can't use the above I can get them online...

Now the overwhelming... there were so many Mycorrhizae bottles pouches and bags. Is it an eeny meenie miney moe? Any recommendations? Is more variety of organisms better? I should have taken pictures I guess.

Thanks for the insight.
 
SurfBuddy said:
High Brix components questions...

Minerals:
I went to my favorite hydro store to look for high brix ingridients. I was both underwhelmed and overwhelmed. First, the underwhelming:
There was no gypsum
They had dolomite lime, no limestone
They had ground phosphate rock (can I assume this is soft rock phosphate?)
There was oyster shell powder, so I can use this in place of limestone, right?

Is there a list of organic substitutes that corresponds to these minerals? For example, what can I use in place of gypsum?

Soil Energy:
They had kelp powder, bone meal and manure, but no Biosol Forte or Hydrolyzed Fish

Are those suitable substitutes? I've got some OC+... is that a substitute or an addition? I see it needs testing on the best practices.

I guess if I can't use the above I can get them online...

Now the overwhelming... there were so many Mycorrhizae bottles pouches and bags. Is it an eeny meenie miney moe? Any recommendations? Is more variety of organisms better? I should have taken pictures I guess.

Thanks for the insight.
Click to expand...

RE Rock Phostphate, make sure it's Soft Rock Phosphate, which is about 20% calcium.
You need calcitic/high calcium limestone.....at least 90% CaCo3. The Oyster Flour is untested, but it might work well.
You must have some Azomite.
You must have qypsum

You must have a quality aerobic tea.

OC+ will work for soil energy, but you must feed the soil too. I'm using composted chicken manure with good success right now. Biosol Forte is also sold as "John and Bob's" Nourish.

Most hydro shops have fish ferts....

As for a root inocculant, Extreme Gardening Mykos will certainly work.
 
Hey Doc, been a minute since I have commented but thank you so much for putting all your knowledge up here for us to read. I really like that article you posted above about the microbial tea's and how they can "lock up" nutrients if not done correctly with the 6-5-3, very good read. I wonder if that is why I have read with High Brix growing, they recommend 1x per month giving a feeding of organic nutrients to replenish the soil...? I have been sort of following this method of compost tea, then sugar's/humic acids/micronutriens/PGR's, then compost tea, then Organic Earthjuice feeding... I was figuring kind of what the article was stating where you want to add microbes, then give them "food energy", then add more microbes, then replenish the soil... So far it seems to be a good pattern with my garden. I know that I have strayed slightly off the pattern here and there, but mostly stayed within the idea :)

Also, I found another site recommending some High Brix foliar sprays.... One was just the use of Raw Cows Milk and honey, mixed with water, and this mix showed +3 brix readings on most of the plants that they were growing within hours, and there corn hit a brix of 26 with this foliar. Also was pretty interesting reading about raw cow's milk and how it has A1 beta casein milk protein, where as most of the milk we drink is A2 beta casein milk protein, and they have linked this to many health problems we are seeing today...very interesting read. Here is the article...

An Incredible Substance – Raw Milk — Newsletter Archives

In that article they also stated that with there green beans, the Milk/honey/water mix actually lowered the brix level, opposite of all the other plants applied...so they are using this mix..

4 gallons of water
12 tbsp molasses — we use feed grade
16 oz. Cola soda — a source of phosphoric acid
4 tsp hydrated lime
10 tbsp liquid fish
4tbsp seaweed powder
8 oz. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp sea salt


Well sorry for not posting in a while, been busy going from no jobs, to working 2 part-time plus 1 fulltime job....haven't had much time for anything else... Hope all is well with your ladies..the last photo's look amazing.
 
Icemud said:
Hey Doc, been a minute since I have commented but thank you so much for putting all your knowledge up here for us to read. I really like that article you posted above about the microbial tea's and how they can "lock up" nutrients if not done correctly with the 6-5-3, very good read. I wonder if that is why I have read with High Brix growing, they recommend 1x per month giving a feeding of organic nutrients to replenish the soil...? I have been sort of following this method of compost tea, then sugar's/humic acids/micronutriens/PGR's, then compost tea, then Organic Earthjuice feeding... I was figuring kind of what the article was stating where you want to add microbes, then give them "food energy", then add more microbes, then replenish the soil... So far it seems to be a good pattern with my garden. I know that I have strayed slightly off the pattern here and there, but mostly stayed within the idea :)

Also, I found another site recommending some High Brix foliar sprays.... One was just the use of Raw Cows Milk and honey, mixed with water, and this mix showed +3 brix readings on most of the plants that they were growing within hours, and there corn hit a brix of 26 with this foliar. Also was pretty interesting reading about raw cow's milk and how it has A1 beta casein milk protein, where as most of the milk we drink is A2 beta casein milk protein, and they have linked this to many health problems we are seeing today...very interesting read. Here is the article...

An Incredible Substance – Raw Milk – Newsletter Archives

In that article they also stated that with there green beans, the Milk/honey/water mix actually lowered the brix level, opposite of all the other plants applied...so they are using this mix..

4 gallons of water
12 tbsp molasses – we use feed grade
16 oz. Cola soda – a source of phosphoric acid
4 tsp hydrated lime
10 tbsp liquid fish
4tbsp seaweed powder
8 oz. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp sea salt


Well sorry for not posting in a while, been busy going from no jobs, to working 2 part-time plus 1 fulltime job....haven't had much time for anything else... Hope all is well with your ladies..the last photo's look amazing.
Click to expand...

Yup. Good info there for sure.

They're basically getting calcium and phosphorus into the leaves with those sprays, and the sugar helps transport.

Foliarsprays.com (International Ag Lab's store) sells several products:

1.)Dextrose
2.)Phos acid fish..a highly acidic fish fert for foliar spraying
3.)Amaze (P and Ca)
4.)PGR....plant growth regulators that bulk up and stimulate growth, not reproduction.
5.)Bloomit. Calcium, phosphorus and manganese. stimulates reproductive growth.
Same idea as your milk and coca-cola, but much better and not very expensive either.

The PGR is a bitch. The stems on my new plants are thicker than I've ever seen. I'm gonna stop using it now and stick with Amaze and Bloomit.

I think these products are cheaper than buying milk, honey, coca-cola, etc.

But, as we all know, the principles remain the same, but the methods are many.
 
Here's the soil test results, minus recommendations, for Vermisoil. Vermisoil is an organic potting soil put out by Vermicrop. It is an EXCELLENT soil and I have grown some fantastic plants in it.

But alas.....I'm not trying to grow fantastic looking plants...I'm trying to grow High Brix plants that reach their genetic potential. Vermisoil is unfit for High Brix. Too bad, because I've got quite a bit.

IMG_2830.JPG

IMG_28312.JPG


OK, so what's the problem with this soil? Plants grow well in it...what wrong?

Well, a few things.

Potassium is way too high. You can't grow High Brix plants if the potassium is too high. Just can't do it.
Sodium is dangerously high.

everything else is workable....but those two right there are deal breakers.

So, I'm trying ProMix HP. Peat, perlite, mycorhyzae, lime. I'll add humus, worm castings, composted chicken manure, and rock powders. I'll get it tested soon.

At least with a product that has nothing, we can build properly. So, we'll get there eventually. In the meantime, the plants are doing very well and enjoying their mineralized, but suboptimal soil just fine.

For those just tuning in:

In order to achieve high brix levels in plant tissues, a grower has got to enlist the help of microbes in the soil. If the microbes are healthy and the soil has the right stuff, the plants do extremely well.

In High Brix gardening, the soil is optimized for the microbes, not the plant. We don't look at NPK in the common way. First, we need calcium, then phosphorus. We need all the other stuff too, of course, but those two, Calcium and Phosphorus are the most important.

We are trying to create a soil that sustains the most lively colony of soil biology possible. Furthermore, we want to make sure the soil has the right mineral content, energy (soil has voltage) and trace elements in the ratios that the microbes prefer.

These happy microbes colonize the root zone and want only one thing: a bit of root exudate from the plant. Root exudate feeds the microbes and has a work order for them, who then go out and crack rocks, break down organic matter and so forth, and bring all the stuff the plants want back to the roots, in order to get another hit of root exudates.

So, we make a soil that the microbes love; a mineralized soil with the right environment, etc. Then, we foliar feed the plants with calcium and phosphorus (and other things from time to time) which increases mineral and sugar content in the leaves....which means more root exudates, more microbes, more food for the plants, etc.

The soil is the gas tank, the microbes are the engine, the foliar feeding is the supercharger.

None of it works without the soil life. That's where it's at.
 
next grow is under way giving high brix a try.

soil is a mix of 1.5 qft bag Dr Earth Pot of Gold, 1 qft bag Promix Organic, 8 qts perlite, 5 lb worm castings

nutes mixed in Fox Farm tomato organic, Dr Earth Bud n Bloom, Mineral mix Limestone/SRP/Gyp, epsom, borax, azomite. 1 tbsp OC+ at the root ball

first feeding last week with molasses, Stump Tea and a Bountea Superfood Tab, and then with molasses and a Superfood tab. Today just a Superfood Tab. I hope to get brewing soon.

These are the healthiest looking plants I have grown so far. They are just 2 weeks in the soil, and I hope they continue this awesome growth.

Look at the shine and the size of this leaf
tablet.jpg

width1.jpg


this is a drain tube that can be in the upright position when watering, keep the water from running out, let the soil suck it up for about 20 min and then turn it down and drain the pot.
drain2.jpg


and this a make shift gnat trap. they seem to love the birxed soil. It is a piece of plastic grid with those sticky fly strips attached. we made two last week and they are loaded with the little buggers, so we made 4 more today placing them right over the buckets. The weed block didn't stop them. Might have slowed them a bit, but they are still there.
gnat_trap.jpg
 
Nice work Doc! Especially drain plug. great idea.

I got some organic fert mixed with microbes... would this be good for "feeding" the soil? Or is this just the base, then would need to add the teas/molasses/fish emulsion?

Thanks for helping us understand all this.
Here's the label from the stuff:
EarthJuiceDSC001291.jpg
 
SurfBuddy said:
Nice work Doc! Especially drain plug. great idea.

I got some organic fert mixed with microbes... would this be good for "feeding" the soil? Or is this just the base, then would need to add the teas/molasses/fish emulsion?

Thanks for helping us understand all this.
Here's the label from the stuff:
EarthJuiceDSC001291.jpg
Click to expand...

Hey bro! The drain plug is from Hash Hounds pics.....and I agree. Damn clever!

Rainbow mix....looks like a fertilizer to me. Looks like it might work pretty well too.

If I was going to try it, I'd get a soil base with almost nothing in it.....I'm using Pro-mix HP.

Add the rock powders and Azomite, along with a few scoops of this rainbow mix. Use the microbial teas and you'll probably have mad success!

However, I'm learning that while adding minerals improves organic growing quite a bit.....if you truly want High Brix, you've got to get a soil test! I suspect the potassium levels are too high in that Rainbow Mix.

I'm getting closer to a recipe that anyone can follow....working on it. It takes a few weeks for the soils tests and each one costs 60 bucks....
 
Those mosquito dunks work great to help control the gnat reproduction. I usually use a 1/4 dunk, ground up between my fingers, in my compost tea's. Usually about every other feeding, and it really seems to keep the fungus gnat population down. Even if they get to the soil and lay eggs, hardly any of them make it to adult stage. And when they do, the yellow sticky cards get them. I found that the sticky's, if torn in half and layed on soil help the best. Anywhere the dark shaded area's are, they seem to love. With the combo of these 2, I may find 1 or 2 adults flying around, but usually no more than that.

Your leaves look amazing Doc!!
 
Humbold Nutrients Myco Maximum is a great product for adding Mycos and bacteria...

DSC042471.JPG


Also the Dr. Earth soft rock phosphate has added mycos and bacterias too..

DSC043601.JPG

DSC043591.JPG
 
Hey everyone! I just got caught up over here! :goodjob:

I ordered a refractometer...should be here Monday. I went with a digital...cost just over $150. Not only do I like toys, but I thought it would be of value to see how well various models/types work...of course I'll also be using it for my vegetables!

This is what I went with:

Digital Refractometer for Measurement of Sugar in Wine, HI 96811 | HANNA Instruments USA

Ordered it through Amazon, so they have a great return policy if I'm not happy for any reason...

I had a few more comments and questions I'd like to pose, but I'm in the middle of sorting through some pics for my next journal update at the moment...

:Namaste:
 
Icemud said:
Humbold Nutrients Myco Maximum is a great product for adding Mycos and bacteria...
Click to expand...

Hey Ice,,

I was about to order Myco Madness. You think the Myco Max is a better choice.

That Stump Tea I used last grow is a little pricy and about the same type stuff. 4oz $15 and I think the Myco Madness is 4oz for $26, but you use a tsp as compared to a tbsp, so it's cheaper in the long run.

The drain seems to be working great so far. Inside the bucket is a piece of plastic dry wall corner bead with a bunch of holes in it. It runs across the bucket from the drain to the other side and then up the back wall. It is covered with landscape fabric.

Hopefully the holes will allow some air to get to the soil, since there aren't any holes besides the drain.

I think they would be good for watering airpots.

I actually wanted to try lining the inside of the bucket with about 8 of those corner beads and I think it might act sort of an air pot to prune some roots and also prune some of the ones that want to ride along the inside of the bucket.
 
After looking and the Myco madness and the maximum, looks like you were going for the right one...madness seems to have more "strains" of bacteria's in it than the maximum, but either one would be great for additives :)
 
I was reading more about foliar sprays last night in relation to high brix and found a few interesting pieces of info...

This is from the ATTRA Foliar Fertilization PDF I downloaded...
"Many citrus growers, for example, are known to foliar feed
with fertilizer blends dominated by potassium and nitrate—vegetative-growth-enhancing nutrients—
to increase fruit size after the crop is well set. Generally speaking, fertilizer blends dominated
by potassium, nitrate nitrogen, calcium, and chlorine tend to promote vegetative growth and fruit size. Blends dominated by ammonium nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and manganese encourage
the setting of fruit and seed.
While this knowledge gives the farmer more management options, one should not assume too
much when trying to manipulate crop performance. All crops—but especially fruit crops—will
need certain amounts of both growth- and fruit-enhancing nutrients throughout the season. Imprecise
timing, or attempts to tip the balance too far, can yield disappointing and costly results."
Click to expand...

Best effect is achieved when foliar sprays are finely atomized. This can be managed by increasing
sprayer pressure or by using a mist blower. Some advantage can be gained on
boom-type sprayers by tilting the nozzles back to a 45° angle to allow the spray to drift onto
the plants.
Spray when wind is minimal. This is especially important with finely atomized sprays because
they drift readily.
Absorption is increased when sprays also reach and coat the undersides of leaves. This is
where most of the plant’s stomates are located.
Always delay foliar fertilization until air temperatures drop to 80°F or below. Absorption at
higher temperatures is very poor because plant stomates are closed. Some of the most effective
foliar feeding is done late in the evening or in the early dawn, when temperatures are
right and wind is minimal.
Absorption is further enhanced when weather conditions are humid and moist. The presence
of heavy dew on the leaves facilitates foliar feeding.
Addition of a surfactant to the solution decreases surface tension on the leaf and may increase
absorption.
Click to expand...

I thought some of this info was very interesting...
 
Icemud said:
After looking and the Myco madness and the maximum, looks like you were going for the right one...madness seems to have more "strains" of bacteria's in it than the maximum, but either one would be great for additives :)
Click to expand...

I ordered the Madness today.

I inspected the plants earlier and all were 100% healthy looking. Nice rich green color.
One plant we did supercrop a few days ago and cracked it bad. It had maybe an 1/8 of the stem left holding it on and the top was as healthy looking as the rest of the plants.

Question for Doc;

My friend is insistent on us trying grafting. Have you ever done it, and would it actually cross the strains?

a related question to this is and of course we were loaded when thinking of this one is;
If you harvested a plant and cut it and left about 4 or 5 inches of the stalk, cut it nice and even and drill a small hole in it and stick a clone in it. Do you think it would take? It would waste no energy growing a root system and might grow like crazy.
 
Hash Hound said:
I ordered the Madness today.

I inspected the plants earlier and all were 100% healthy looking. Nice rich green color.
One plant we did supercrop a few days ago and cracked it bad. It had maybe an 1/8 of the stem left holding it on and the top was as healthy looking as the rest of the plants.

Question for Doc;

My friend is insistent on us trying grafting. Have you ever done it, and would it actually cross the strains?

a related question to this is and of course we were loaded when thinking of this one is;
If you harvested a plant and cut it and left about 4 or 5 inches of the stalk, cut it nice and even and drill a small hole in it and stick a clone in it. Do you think it would take? It would waste no energy growing a root system and might grow like crazy.
Click to expand...

Hey bro...not to answer for Doc (as he answers for Doc :scratchinghead:)...but no, it won't cross them. The grafted branch will just be a different strain than the rest of the plant.

I don't think the cloning could work exactly as described...you need to line up the vascular tissues of two in order for it to take...but maybe I'm wrong, Doc will know! :thumb:
 
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